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Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7704, 5 January 1905, Page 2

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A Terrible Tale of Ddrccti^ MOST SERIOUS FIRES Bl»/ EXPERIENCED. SYDNEY, Jan. 4. The Ilillaboiig station was swept lean of gross. The wheat crops, hay stacks, and other property of small settlers were destroyed. An unknown man was burned to death at the Ellerslie station, and another so budly that there Is small ! ho|Hs of his recover.*. Many persons arc suffering from burns received while fighting the flames. The roods are littered with dead awl dyfat stock* Albury reports tliut toe fire is practically in hand. It swept an area of seventy miles in length, and from ten to thirty in breadth. Amongst the many sufferers Bank* Bros, lost £2OOO worth of wheat Mrs Wcsteudorf 300 tons of hay Mr Hall 1000 breeding owe*, y»e JUt> chell Estate (Table Top) 8000 acre* of grass and 2000 sheep. At tiermanum Mrs Mitchell died of shock o n seeing her house burned. As communication is restored, and] details trickle in, it la shown that both as regards the extent of country affected and the amount of damage, the fires are the most serious ever experienced in the Stale, Whole districts have been swept bare, and hundreds of settler* completely ruined. A still larger number have been seriously crippled. Besides many thousands of sheep and other stock roasted to death large numbers have been badly scorched. Their suffering is described as pitiable, Gundagai reports that when rain came on Monday night people went to bed for the first time since Friday. The spread of the fire has been checked, though timber and lean cing is still smouldering. In the Wagga district tho Wood* lands estate lost 9000 acres of F*l' Creek 30.000. The lire swept the Bookbook station clean, and did £12,000 worth of damage. At the KyamUa estate out of a travelling mob of 5000 sheep, 1000 were burned. Proportionate!*', small . was-cd-mowex-tcmttvelyand severely. At Murrumburrah, on the Cunningham estate, 40,000 acres of gross were swept away, and at Futter 12,000 acres, besides crops, machinery, and wool sheds. At Gown 6000 acres of grass, and 300 of crops were destroyed, at Graham 4000 acres of gross and 200 tons of hay, and 300 sheepj at Spackman 200 acres of wheat, at Murphy 9000 acres of grass and 600 sheep. Singleton reports that the whole district round is devastated. Scores of families arc ruined. They are being supplied with food. At Carcoar the fires are still raging. Hundreds of miles of splendid gracing and agricultural country have been destroyed. Yass reports thai the fires are not yet thoroughly under, control. It is impossible to estimate the Immense damage. Eleven hundred of Ford's sheep were burned, and Wright lost thirty acres of wheat. At Wyndham a child was caught and burned to death. There ware many miraculous escapes. A lady and gentleman driving in a buggy was surrounded and the bugy bunft* The lady's areas caught, and she barely managed to escape. Stock in the devastated districts are starving for want of food. POSITIOR EASING 111 VICTORIA. THE FIRES QUENCHED. MELBOURNE, Jan. 4. Its in, which was general through!ut the State, quenched bush fires. QUEENSLAND UNDER THE SCOURGE. A DISTRICT IN FLAMES. BRISBANE, Jan. 4. Bush fires are raging in the Dolby Histrict, '• RELIEF FOR THE SUFFERERS. SYMPATHY IN NEW ZEALAND. SYDNEY, Jan. 4. The Lord Maypr has convened a meeting to inaugurate a fund for tho relief of the sufferers by the fires. newspapers have opened fuods< CHIUSTCHURCH. Jan. 4. - In reply to ft telegram from the ditor of Truth regarding the Au*. tralian bush fires, inquiring whether the New Zealand Government proposed, to takp any action in the direction of organising a relief fund, the Premier telegraphs,:—"Yours la the first and only communication re< ceived by the New Zealand Government on tho subject. Our warmest sympathies arc with our Australian neighbours in the disastrous bush) fires that have overtaken them* Aj movement for practical sympathy and our assistance must spring front the people, and be spontanous to be successful, both as regards organise tion and general character, and this being the case, the Government iwlßi as on previous occasions lend Hsel! to the kindly action."WANGANVI, Jan. 4. The Mayor of Wanganui has called a public meeting for Friday to start, a fund on behalf of the sufferers by, the fires in Australia, Several sutx scriptions arc already in hand. WELLINGTON, Jan. 4< The Wellington branch of the Auw tralian Natives Association has decided to open a fund to assist sufferws' by the Australian bush flresu NEW SOUTH WALES RELIEVED, RAIN AIDS JADED SETTLERS' EFFORTS. (Received Jan. 4, 10.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, Jan. 4. News from the country to-day states that the bush Arcs are prac-!lical\vexl'ing'ui»,-hed. Is some instances the-y have burned themselves out, but in the majority of cases rain assisted the sufferers in their .work, An influential meotmf of citizens in the Town Hall, the Lord Mayor presiding, expressed sympathy with the sufferers, and decided, on the motion of Mr Carrutbers (Premier) to invite subscriptions throughout, tho "State. A representative committee was appointed, and over £I4OO was subscribed in tho rponii LATEST PARTJTIAP, (Received .inn. 5, 0.18 a.m.) SYDNEY. Jan. 4. Details of the (in* in tbelMegato district and town show that men fought for ibtir days and nights* [The fire*, spreading from several centres, swept nil urea of 130 square miles. Scores of Hettlerswno managed to save their homes lost everything else. One named Collins lost his wool clip from floo sheep and 1000 acres of g»<ass. He only saved a pig. which took" refuge In the dwell-ing-house. Stewart's wool shed, 2a miles of fencing, and 8000 acres oi feruss were licked up hy the flames. Richmond, who lost his house, wool clips, and crops, was surrounded by firo, and his clothes caught alight several times. He saved himseV by, riding into a water-hole. Three others, Crawford, Ryan, and Walker, lost their homes and everything. E. I'. Pleton lost 150 sheep, and Clops f Ingram his house, fencing, and stock. barely saving his family by placing them in a water-hole. ' On theCorrowonc estate 1500 acres of grassy leoajthccp, and miles of fendsfl were destroyed. On the WallcntjidjH estate two large wool sheds contents and 1000 acres of were burned, The losses In outside districts *}H as yet unknown, but it is that much stock perished. ,